Man of Her Dreams by Tami Hoag Page A

gagged.
    â€œWell, I did have someone else in mind.” Carter said, his gaze locked on her, “but she was already spoken for. Some other time perhaps.”
    Ry turned red and tensed in his chair, ready to pounce. Only Christian’s hand on his arm kept him from bolting out of his seat.
    The Englishman sent a smile across the table and smoothly changed the subject. “Can we expect to see you at the farm next month for the open house, Mr. Burwell?”
    Maggie thought the dinner went rather well. Her nights of studying and Katie’s tutoring paid off. She followed most of the conversation that went on around her. There was still plenty of hunter-jumper jargon to learn, but she didn’t embarrass herself or Ry. She thought she succeeded in showing him she could fit into his world socially. That and driving him into a sexual frenzy had been her two goals for the evening. She was still working on the second one.
    Most of the talk revolved around the topic of Ry’s stallion. The horse was a product of the Quaid Farm breeding program and was Ry’s pride and joy. Maggie had learned that Rough Cut was the top money-winning horse in the history of grand prix jumping and would add another fifteen thousand dollars to his career earnings the next day if he jumped well in the Albemarle Cup Grand Prix.
    â€œDo you think he’ll do it, Christian?” Katie asked.
    â€œIf all goes according to plan.”
    Atherton’s date gave him a saucy look. “Debutante and I may have something to say about that.”
    Christian’s eyes glittered at the challenge. “Marissa is riding our top competition, Idlewylde Farm’s Debutante,” he explained. He winked at her. “Come now, love, you wouldn’t spoil Rough Cut’s grand finale, would you?”
    Marissa smiled. “In a minute, and I wouldn’t bat at eyelash. Rough Cut’s worth a fortune whether he wins the Albemarle Cup or not.”
    â€œTrue,” Ry said, salting his potatoes, “but fifteen grand would go a long way in paying for that new breeding shed we’re putting up.”
    â€œI’ve heard the rumors on that syndication figure. My heart bleeds for you, Ry,” Marissa said with no sympathy.
    Christian shook his head as he sliced into his prime rib. “She’s totally without mercy. I should know.”
    Everyone laughed at his comically pained expression.
    â€œYou should see all the improvements Ry is making at the farm in anticipation of Rough Cut’s coming home to stand at stud, Mr. Burwell,” Maggie said. She could feel Ry’s gaze boring into the back of her head, and she smiled to herself. She winked at Katie, who had explained to her the expensive expansion of facilities that was going on at Quaid Farm. “In addition to the new breeding shed, there will be veterinary facilities on the grounds, and a new barn and paddocks for visiting mares. Isn’t that right, sugar?” she asked, turning back to Ry.
    â€œThat’s right,” he said, thrown off balance by her wealth of knowledge. She had gone to some trouble to learn all that. Why?
    Maggie patted his thigh under the table and every question he had flew right out of his head. The way she was sitting gave him an unobstructed view of her cleavage. He wondered vaguely if it wasn’t against the law for a woman to wear a dress that numbed a man’s brain so.
    Maggie turned back to the conversation, leaving her hand on Ry’s rock-hard thigh, her fingers absently massaging. Instead of making him relax, it had the exact opposite effect. The muscles tightened and tightened until she expected him to shoot out of the chair like a rocket.
    â€œThe expansion will be well worth the expense if Rough Cut proves to be as good in the breeding pen as he is in the show ring,” Burwell said.
    â€œI’m sure you’ll be glad you invested, Mr. Burwell. We’re certain Rough Cut will live up to